THE SOCIAL GOSPEL

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. The Galatians quickly removed themselves from the gospel of
      Christ. Gal. 1:6-9
      1. They had accepted things that were different, that were not
         part of the true gospel.
   B. There are many perversions of the true gospel today.
      1. Probably the most popular is the "social gospel."
      2. Instead of using only the gospel to appeal to man's inner
         being to make him better spiritually, they, along with the
         gospel, appeal to man's physical nature.
         a. All kinds of physical allurements are offered to attract
            the masses.
   C. We make a contrast between the social gospel and the gospel of
      Christ.
      1. Charts are especially good for presenting a contrast. (See
         Chart below)

I. THE SOCIAL GOSPEL IS CONCERNED WITH MAN'S BODY.
   A. Exercise clubs, health spas, and health magazines are very     
      popular today.
      1. Liberal churches have exercise rooms and gymnasiums to
         accommodate the people.
   B. The gospel of Christ is concerned with the saving of man's     
      soul. Mark 16:15-16; Matt. 9:11-13; 18:11
      1. The program committee for a national barber's convention
         came up with a startling means of demonstrating the
         effectiveness of their profession. They found an old man, a
         social derelict on skid row, with long, dirty hair. His face
         was unshaven, and his clothes were ragged and filthy. His   
         body reeked with odors of cheap liquor and filth. The       
         barbers cleaned him up, gave him a bath, shampoo, shave,    
         haircut, and manicure. They liberally sprinkled talcum      
         powder on him and added spicy cologne. He was dressed in a  
         new suit and was presented before the convention as a       
         changed man. He certainly looked the part. However, within a
         week the man was back on skid row, back in the gutter, and  
         back in his former pattern of life. The barbers altered his 
         outward appearance, but their services had not changed his  
         inward nature.
      2. Anyone who has money can put an old man in a new suit,
         but only Christ can put a new man in an old suit. 2 Cor.    
         5:17

II. THE SOCIAL GOSPEL IS CONCERNED WITH MAN'S PHYSICAL NEEDS.
   A. A lady, who was not a member of the church, called and wanted
      to know if the church could help her buy a stove and           
      refrigerator.
      1. Where did she get the idea that churches do such things? It 
         is from the modern concept of the work of the church.
   B. The gospel of Christ is concerned with man's spiritual needs.
      1. It improves and perfects one's character. 2 Pet. 1:3-11
      2. It seeks internal reform. Rom. 12:2

III. THE SOCIAL GOSPEL IS CONCERNED WITH SOCIAL REFORM.
   A. Churches will sometimes push social reform by means of civil
      government. Is this not mixing church and state?
      1. The homosexuals are very active in using civil government to
         force their lifestyle on others.
         a. Gay activists say they want tolerance. They claim that
            everyone has the right to his own beliefs. But when
            Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF) at Tufts University
            near Boston denied a leadership position to a young lady
            who holds that homosexuality is not a sin, a position
            contrary to that taken by TCF, she pressed charges of
            discrimination against the group which is now being told
            to rewrite its constitution to make it congenial to
            homosexuals.
         b. What gays want is not tolerance, but for everyone to
            approve of their lifestyle.
   B. The gospel of Christ is concerned with man's internal reform.
      1. Slavery was very prevalent when the gospel was first
         delivered, but there are no passages which demand the
         abolishment of very.
      2. However, there are many passages which teach men to love
         and to do good to one another. Rom. 13:8; Gal. 6:10
         a. When men's hearts are changed, social reforms will take
            care of themselves.
         b. As someone said, "Jesus did not come to get the people
            out of the slums, but the slums out of the people."

IV. THE SOCIAL GOSPEL IS CONCERNED WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT OF MAN.
   A. Some churches provide a constant flow of entertainment,
      including all kinds of singers, celebrities, professional      
      speakers, and entertainers - even clowns and puppet shows for  
      the kids.
      1. They appeal to the carnal nature of man, trying to give him 
         a fleeting moment of joy, laughter, and fun.
      2. They think that if they can make people happy, they will
         accept their doctrine and join their church.
      3. Or, perhaps they think they won't lose members if they
         constantly entertain them.
   B. The gospel of Christ is concerned with the true joy and        
      happiness that comes from within and is lasting.
      1. It is concerned with the joy that comes from a right
         relationship with God.
      2. John 17:13; Rom. 5:11; 15:13; 1 John 1:1-4

V. THE SOCIAL GOSPEL IS CONCERNED WITH FEEDING MAN'S BODY.
   A. Churches are providing food to win and hold members.
      1. Is this not mixing church and home?
      2. One "liberal preacher" said, "We feed the people because
         Christ went about feeding the people."
         a. Yes, Jesus fed the people, but Jesus did a lot of things
            we can't do. He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and
            two fish.
         b. Jesus fed the 5,000 to show that He was the Bread of
            life, and afterwards he taught the people to seek the
            food which endures to eternal life. John 6:27
   B. The gospel of Christ is concerned with feeding man's soul, not 
      his body.
      1. When the Corinthians had turned the eating of the Lord's
         Supper into a common meal, Paul taught them to keep
         spiritual things separate from the physical. 1 Cor. 11:22,34
      2. The church provides Bible classes for all ages so that we   
         feed on spiritual food and grow spiritually.
      3. When Paul told the elders to "feed" the flock, to what kind
         of food was he referring?
      4. Food and drink is part of the home, not part of the kingdom.
         Rom. 14:17

VI. THE SOCIAL GOSPEL MAKES MEN WORSE.
   A. There is no power in the social gospel to make men better.
      1. Providing food, recreation, and entertainment, in the final
         analysis, will only introduce worldliness into the church.
         a. The love of the world is condemned in the Scriptures.1
            John 3:15-17; James 4:4
      2. Bemoaning the fact of slow growth, a denominational
         preacher wrote, "Maybe it would not be out of order to stop
         cooking in our church kitchens; stop playing in our athletic
         buildings; and call for an old-fashioned prayer meeting, get
         back to God, back to the Bible, on fire with real love in   
         our hearts for lost souls."
   B. The gospel of Christ makes men better.
      1. There is power in the gospel to make men better. Heb. 4:12;
         Acts 20:32; 1 Thess. 2:13
      2. God's word can do marvelous things. Psalm 19:7-11

VII. CHRIST CONTINUALLY TAUGHT CONCERN FOR THE SPIRITUAL RATHER THAN 
   THE PHYSICAL.
   A. As we mentioned, Jesus taught the people to not seek the food
      which perishes, but that which endures to eternal life. John   
      6:27
   B. He taught lessons from the birds and lilies to cause us to have
      right priorities. Matt. 6:19-20,33.
   C. He instructed Martha to not be overly concerned about things
      which don't matter, but to choose the good part which shall    
      never be taken away. Luke 10:38-42

Concl.
   A. Perversions of the gospel will not save men's souls, but will
      condemn them to hell. Gal. 1:6-9
      1. On a cold winter day in 1986, Diane Elsroth entered a store
         in Bronxville, New York looking for something to relieve her
         pain. She bought a bottle of medicine, not knowing that
         someone had opened the bottle's tamper-resistant wrapping,
         tainted the capsules with cyanide, and returned them to the
         store's shelf. Within a short time after Elsroth left the   
         store, the cyanide-laced capsules killed her.
      2. Like a medicine mixed with cyanide, a perverted gospel
         brings condemnation rather than making us whole in Christ.

Chart:
The Social Gospel.............Versus.............The Gospel of Christ

Social Gospel is Concerned with:--Gospel of Christ is Concerned with:

Man's Body.................................................Man's Soul

Man's Physical Needs............................Man's Spiritual Needs

Social Reform...................................Man's Internal Reform

Entertainment of Man...........................True Joy and Happiness

Feeding Man's Body.................................Feeding Man's Soul

Makes Men Worse......................................Makes Men Better

        Christ Taught Concern for the Spiritual Over Physical